QINTL,
Thanks for sharing these great articles!
The Obituary for Ike Livermore is of particular personal interest to me as for over 50 years I have have hiked and run on the trails at Will Rogers State Park in the Pacific Palisades (Southern California). A few hundred yards away is Ronald Reagan's house of many years (until 1981 when he moved to Washington). His residence had outstanding views of the largely undeveloped Santa Monica Mountains.
Early in Reagan's first term as Governor of California, an uncharacteristically wide road was built up Temescal Canyon in the Pacific Palisades linking the Pacific Coast Highway with Sunset Blvd. General opinion was that it would surely soon be extended over the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Fernando Valley. Of course, such a road would open up thousands of acres along its route for development. But, at the end of Reagan's second term as Governor, Topanga State Park was established, and over the years its boundaries subsequently increased. The location of Topanga State Park essentially blocked the extension of Temescal Drive over the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Fernando Valley. Many of us are thankful for those who fought for this State Park and passed and signed the required legislation. I ran there last week and it was teeming with hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, the young, the old, etc.
I think it is important not to forget the efforts of Brower, Litton, Livermore, and all the other players (from a wide range of backgrounds) who helped protect some our America's wonderful resources.
QITNL, getting back to the Sierra Range, if you find any more of these interesting articles, please continue to share!
Jim